Frozen Thorns
by FantasYAnDMadnesS
Summary: Jack meets a friend of the other Guardians and befriends her. After some time, he slowly falls for her. But then, Jack will discover that she has deeper ties with Tooth and even Pitch than he's ever known. When Pitch strikes back, it's up to the Guardians to protect the children once again. But Pitch has got darker tricks up his sleeve and he's going to do something bad to her...
1. First Hello

***~~*~~*Hi guys! This will be my first ROTG fanfic! I'm really hoping this would be a good story and I appreciate it if you didn't flame my work since I'm just twelve guys! Please R&R and enjoy!**

Prologue

"My name is Briar. Just Briar, I think. How do I know? Because the moon told me. But before that, it was so cold. Cold like Antarctica-cold multiplied by two. I woke up, I was in water. Very cold water. I reached out and my fingers felt cold ice pressing my skin. I pushed hard and the ice broke off. I rose and felt for the small pendant I wore round my neck. But where did it come from, to be honest, I couldn't remember. I tugged at it and a small part chipped off. I felt my hands slowly fade into tiny petals then reappear again. I was alive. I loved plants and as I leaned against a dying tree and the small willow straightened up and became evergreen. I was so happy.

Then I realized, I was invisible. There was no one who could see me and they just walked past me, like there was no me. Was I dead? I didn't know. I had to find my answers, quickly. But no answer came to me. For years, I wandered the streets, invisible to everyone. I was a cast out. I was alone. I had nobody I could trust. Nobody but me. I was sick of it. I fled to an abandoned greenhouse where I soon started to live happily, creating plants in there all-year round and playing in my green paradise. Soon, I thought that was what I was alive for. But turns out, it wasn't and it will never be.

Chapter 1

Jack Frost slipped down the long lengthy ice, formed by none other than him and laughed as Bunnymund clumsily bumped into a pole which caused the snow to fall on his head. The Easter Bunny scowled at Jack. "I'm gonna get you for that chap!" he yelled at the speeding Jack. The boy slid down the ice, avoiding the playful rage of the bunny. "Guys! Better not break anything in North's place! Jack! You're on the naughty list already!" Tooth called. The Tooth Fairy gnawed at the inside of her cheek. "Man, those two. Always playing around. I gotta go!" she zoomed through the factory with her swift wings and soon caught up with Jack and Bunny. "Let them play Tooth. Let's have some fun" North laughed, his big belly bouncing up and down. Sandy waved his hands and formed some funny pictures above his head. The Guardians flopped themselves on the floor in North's office and continued laughing, gripping their bellies and rolling on the floor as Sandy made funny faces and sheepish looks from sand.

Suddenly, Baby Tooth flew into the office and impatiently tugged at Tooth's arm. "What is it, Baby Tooth?" she crooned. The smaller fairy whispered something in her ear, chattering with a worried look on her face. All of a sudden, Tooth gasped and jumped to her feet.

"Guys! We have trouble! Pitch is back!" she flew quickly to North's big globe and the others followed. They gasped as the lights flickered and died down. "Oh no! Not again!" Jack scratched his head. Sandy jumped up and pinched his friend's arm. Jack yelped. Sandy pointed up as black petals circled the globe. North drew his swords. The petals formed an awfully familiar face.

"Greetings Guardians!" a loud booming voice echoed the hall, stopping the elves and yetis from doing their work. Jack tightened his grip on his crooked staff. Tooth clenched her fists. Bunny drew his boomerangs and Sandy called up his golden sand whip. Jack felt his teeth gnashing against each other. His staff pulled close as the figure emerged.

"Pitch" North said with disgust. "Miss me?" Pitch Black asked. "Certainly not!" Tooth retorted. "Oh? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Where's number 6?" Pitch laughed wickedly. "Don't tell me she's not here? How, oh how? Will you beat me this time?" he laughed again as the petals faded. "Six?" Jack faced North. "There's a number six?" he asked dumbfounded.

North scratched his beard. He nodded. "Where is she?" Jack asked. North was silent. Bunny stepped up. "We ain't seen _her_. Some say she's deep in the mountains" he replied. "What does she look like?" Jack asked. Sandy formed a picture in sand. A girl with long hair standing, dressed in a green hooded sweater and brown pants where the edges were rather tattered. From the shade of the sand, it was noticeable that her hair was brown like Jack's before. Jack thought for a minute.

"I want to look for her" Jack declared. "WHAT?!" Tooth zoomed over Jack. "Where? We don't know her!" she cried. "But what if Pitch makes us weak again? What if the kids don't believe in us anymore?" Jack demanded. "I don't want that to happen!" Jack pushed away Tooth's hand that was blocking his way. "Never mind me! I'm just gonna take a look around" he bended his knees and jumped into the air and flew towards the mountains. "Go after him. He doesn't know who he's up against" North nodded to Sandy. The other nodded and disappeared to follow Jack.

"Why? Who's he up against North?" Bunny asked. "Briar, the plant Dedicate" North replied sadly. "Oh no! Jack!" Bunny raced after his frosty friend. "I'm going too" Tooth flicked through the factory and zoomed up the ceiling. "Let's go then" North set his jaw in a stubborn position and dashed up to his companions.

The four other Guardians soon caught up with Jack. "You took your time" Jack said sarcastically. "You certainly did" Tooth replied, flying next to him. "North and Bunny's on the sleigh and Sandy's a little behind" she informed him. "Oh great!" Jack halted so suddenly it caused Tooth to stumble a little. "What now?" she asked patiently. "What exactly are we looking for?" he asked.

"That's why I wanted you to wait for me, Jack" North came up to Jack with excitement. "Follow me" North sped down and Jack and Tooth dove down after them with Sandy bringing up the rear. North shot down to a small building of glass.

North landed the sleigh in front of the building. Jack, Tooth and Sandy jumped down beside him. Bunny crawled towards them with shaky paws. "L-let's go in mate" he said. "Right!" North marched to the door and pushed it open.

Green. That was what he first saw. Plants of every size and color greeted them with the healthiest leaves covered with dew. "Welcome Guardians" North said. "To the Guardian Greenhouse" he said.

"Someone remind me why we're here?" Jack tugged Bunny's arm. "The sixth Guardian is here" North replied, confidently marching right in. Jack and the others jogged to keep up with him. "So what's she? A she-troll? A river nymph?" Jack asked sarcastically. Sandy shook his head. "No mate" Bunny spoke for Sandy. "She's like you. Human"

"Ah, Briar!" North's voice boomed over the green paradise. A young girl about seventeen years old rocked slightly on a handful of wind and leaped down. She had a hood on her head and Jack couldn't get a better view of her face. She wore a green sweater and brown pants that seemed to be cut up to her knees, leaving the fabric, a little tattered.

She raced to Bunny and jumped in his arms, laughing. "Bunny!" she giggled. "Still furry as ever!" she laughed and Bunny too. "Briar! How long has it been? A hundred and ninety five years I believe?" he asked. "Actually, two hundred. Man time flies" the girl slid away from Bunny and threw her arms around North. "Welcome North" she said softly. North wrapped her in a big hug. "Good to be home" he replied.

Briar turned to Tooth. "TOOOOOOOOTH!" she screamed. The girls hugged each other. "How've you been?" Briar asked. "Pretty good. You?" Tooth asked. "Never better" Briar grinned at her. "Sandy! How's your dream coming along?" Briar asked. Sandy formed a picture in the air that said 'good.' Briar giggled.

. Her gray-green eyes turned to Jack's. She skipped to him, peering into his face. She ruffled his hair; she checked his teeth and circled him. "Now, now Briar. Don't get too excited about our Jack. He's new round here" North chuckled.

"NO!" Briar exclaimed. "You're Jack Frost? The guy who ranked champion in the naughty list? Seriously? You're in my greenhouse?" Briar asked so many questions Jack barely had time to answer everything. "Is he him, North? Is he? I-I mean really?" she asked excitedly. North laughed and nodded. "Oh, my gosh! Tooth, does his teeth?" she pulled Jack's cheeks, exposing his teeth once again. "Oh yeah! They really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" she giggled. She snapped out of it and pulled away.

"Oh sorry. I had been drinking Night lock juice" she apologized, her gray-green eyes turning dull and darker. "No, no! It's okay. Pleasure to meet you, Briar" Jack held out his hand. They shook. Briar's gray-green eyes lightened up, turning it to emerald.

"To business!" North thundered. "Of course!" Briar immediately snapped her fingers and dry maple leaves stitched themselves together and formed six chairs. The Guardians seated themselves each on one of the chairs and sat around in a circle. Briar propped her chin on her knee and licked her dry lips. "What's been going on?" she asked, suddenly serious. North cleared his throat but Bunny spoke quicker.

"Pitch is back" he said flatly. Jack expected Briar to gasp but she remained calm. "What's Mr. B doing now? How many times has he entered the battlefield?" she asked. "Three, including this one" Tooth replied. "Quite often" Briar complimented calmly. "What does he want?" she asked. Sandy shrugged. But he formed letters above his head. "But this time, he uses black petals to call nightmares, not sand" he offered. "Petals?" Briar asked. Her head turned to look at her home-bred black roses and tulips. "He can't be using _my_ plants, can he?" she turned to North. "No. These are his creations, his power" he replied seriously.

"And you need me, for this?" Briar gestured to herself. "Why me? You have Jack Frost with you" she said as a matter-of-factly. "No. The five of us isn't enough. And what I feel is he's after you since he's using petals. You need to be placed in protection" North said. "Let me guess" Briar tapped her chin. "In your belly?" she asked and Jack gave a sudden snicker softly. "Yes, well" North eyed her suspiciously. "If you want to back off, we'll have to crawl to victory" he said. "And what makes you think I'm going to back out?" Briar asked, eyes locked on Jack's. "I wouldn't" she said. "So, you're in then?" Bunny asked in disbelief. "Yeah, it'll be fun!" Briar grinned. Jack too. 'What is it about her? Brown hair, amber eyes. She looks so familiar' Jack thought to himself.

Briar chose to ride the sleigh to the North Pole but the one thing that bothered Jack was why she wore a thick sweater when she exited instead of her own nature-close clothes. "I'll show you Jack" Briar took him by the hand and let him to a plot of weeds. "Work your magic" she whispered. Jack blew gently on the smooth blades of the plants and they froze, the blades turning purple then black. The plants were dead. "In immediate cold, plants die. I am so much like a plant. If I go to the cold without anything, I die. It goes the same with fire" Briar knelt on one knee and waved a gentle hand over the weeds. "I save this plot for weeds. I don't like them stown away" Briar murmured as the blades straightened up and became green again. "I can heal the plants' injury, brew potions with them but I cannot heal or resurrect myself. I may never age but I can still die. It depends on the number of people believing in me" she said and Jack listened with interest.

"Briar, how many kids believe in you?" Jack asked gently. "None" Briar answered bluntly. "NONE?!" Jack fell backward. "Nobody knows me but I don't care. I just want them to be happy, believing in me or not" she replied. "Also, another weakness is this pendant" Briar pulled out her big necklace. "It's my life. If I lose it, if the clasp breaks, I die" she said.

She stood and dusted herself off. "We should get going" she pulled Jack, her warm hand growing cold in his. Jack suddenly yanked his hand away. "Cold travels all over the body. If I touch you, you might... I'm cold as ice!" he stuttered. Briar smiled. "But you're not ice. You're human. I can survive" Briar took his hand again and led him to the sleigh.

"Briar, I forgot to ask you. How old were you when you became like this?" Tooth asked. "Seventeen" the other girl replied then Briar turned to Jack. "I'm a hundred years older than you" she giggled. Jack too. "You two seem to be getting along good" Bunny peeked behind him to see Briar and Jack. Sandy formed a heart above him. "We are not! We just met!" Briar and Jack chorused. Then they all laughed together.

They arrived safely in North's factory. "You must stay here for a while. After landing, Bunny immediately went straight to the bathroom and threw up. Sandy and Tooth went to examine the globe while North stormed to his office to search for some files. "Briar!" Jack called. Briar had shed her green sweater, revealing a brown shirt with tattered sleeves. Supposedly she cut them off clumsily.

Jack took Briar's hand and led her to a room with a double decked bed and two dressers. The window seat was filled with dying plants. "Stay in my room then. If you're gonna stay here with us, you need a place to sleep and I don't know what to do with the lower bed here so..." Jack smiled gently. "Thanks" Briar said. Soon, night has fallen.

Lying in bed, Jack rolled over to his side. It was late. So late. He glanced at North's clock outside his door. It read: 1:45 am. Jack grunted with frustration. "Can't sleep?" Jack almost fell off his bed. Briar faced Jack. "You too?" she asked. "Yeah" Jack gave a slight laugh and sat up. Briar was in her normal, everyday clothes and she was sitting on the window seat, eyes on the skies.

Jack slipped out of bed and sat, cross-legged on the floor across her. "What are you doing?" he asked with interest. Briar took a deep breath. "Singing" she replied and hid her face away. "You sing?" Jack asked. "A little. My mother used to sing to me every time. I kinda got used to it" Briar shrugged. "Cute" Jack complimented. "It is not!" she blushed harder. Of course it is!" Jack said, jumping to his feet and sitting beside her. "Let's hear a song then" he nudged her with his shoulder. "I'd rather not. It might rain" Briar said, giggling. "No it won't. Come on" Jack begged her on. "Oh, alright. But, just one song" Briar gave another of her traditional playful pout. "Of course" Jack leaped to his bed and lay on his belly. Briar took another deep breath and closed her eyes.

_Home is behind_

_The world ahead_

_And there are many paths—_

_To tread_

Briar's eyes were closed, her mouth moving gently. Jack stared at her, feeling at home. 'I didn't know you sing' he thought to himself.

_Through shadow_

_Through the edge of night_

_Until the stars_

_Are all alight_

Jack felt his eyelids grow heavy. But his interest sucked the drowsiness out. 'Great singer, aren't you Briar?' he thought once again.

_Mist and shadow_

_Cloud and shade_

_All shall fade_

_All shall fade_

Jack's eyes glowed in the moonlight. "It's a beautiful song" he said. "You think?" Briar stood and crawled into bed. "Good morning Jack" she said sleepily as her eyes close. Jack slid into bed and closed his eyes. "Good morning Briar. Sweet dreams" he laughed quietly and soon fell asleep.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Rise of the Guardians. "Rise of the Guardians 2" is just a fan made fiction and copyright goes to its respective owners. In additional, I do NOT own the song Briar sang. It's from the "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" a great movie.


	2. Dark Warren

Chapter 2

Birds. The sweet yet annoying sound of the tweeting of winter birds greeted Jack as he awoke. He glanced at North's enormous clock. It read: 5:38 am. 'Ugh, never really had time to sleep' he complained to himself. He rubbed his sleepy eyes groggily. He sat up on his bed which was the upper part of his double-decked bed. He now shared his room with a fellow Guardian, Briar.

Jack swung himself off his bed and let his feet dangle out in the open. Jack yawned. "Good morning sleepyhead" Briar peeked through the open window. She was again wearing her green sweater and there she sat, on the roof of the old tower. "Briar" Jack mumbled. He leaped from his bed and ruffled his white hair. "It's freezing out here" he said, sliding next to her. "It hurts, but I love it, keeps me cool" Briar replied. She kicked a pile of snow away to free her feet and the snow slipped down the roof and fell out in the open. There was a faint 'Hey!' in the lower part of the factory. Briar glanced at Jack and they burst out laughing.

But they were soon interrupted by North who burst in the room. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. "Jack, Briar, we have trouble!" he gasped a little for air. "In the Warren. Hurry, before Easter comes! Children don't wake up until seven!" he said, panting. Jack and Briar didn't need a second call. They jumped off and dashed to the sleigh. "North! How fast can this thing go exactly?" Briar asked, running beside North. "You'll see" North panted.

Climbing on the sleigh, just as soon as Briar's hand touched the railings, North took off. Jack pulled her in. "Thanks" Briar said, catching her breath. Her breaths formed puffs of white smoke in the cold. She hugged herself for warmth. Jack pulled her close. Somehow, he was warmer this time. "Thanks Jack" Briar curled up beside him. "No problem" Jack put an arm around her. "To the Warren!" North bellowed at his snow globe and a portal opened to their destination. They ran straight through and the portal closed once again.

"What's happened?" Jack had leaped ahead of the sleigh, Briar clinging to his neck and his hand wrapped tightly around her waist. "Hurry Jack!" North called. Jack rose in the air and finally, shot down to the long, colored river where they used to paint Easter eggs. He put Briar down on the banks carefully and dashed over to Bunny.

"The eggs! They're all gone!" Bunny cried, almost in tears. "Gone? How?" Briar, standing on a long branch, asked. "They're shattered! Everything and everyone! Nothing made it in the surface!" Bunny fell to his knees, clutching the broken shells. Easter is done but still! We're making millions off eggs again and distribute it to seven continents to make Easter ready! We'll never make it! Do you remember last time when Pitch destroyed the eggs and almost killed me? I don't want that to happen again so I'm preparing eggs a year early but look!" he cried. Tooth bent down and put a comforting arm around him. "Of course we will!" she chirped. "We'll do it together!" she declared. "Tooth's right. Come on guys!" Briar leaped down beside Tooth. "The day is still young. Let's paint some eggs!" she pounded her fist on her palm. "That's the spirit!" North jumped from the sleigh and gathered a fistful of eggs in his giant hands and threw them in the colored river. "Sandy, take the ones near the tunnels! Jack, the ones on the west wing! Briar, the ones on the east wing! North, those on the river banks and I'll take care of the south wing" Tooth instructed. "Yes ma'am!" Jack, Briar, Sandy and North dashed to do their work, coaxing the eggs to color themselves in the water. Bunny was overjoyed. "Thanks guys!" he exclaimed and went to help the others with the eggs by gathering them up in baskets.

It was already dusk when they finished. Together, the Guardians flopped themselves on the grass and watched the salmon sun set. "Aaaah! I'm so exhausted!" Tooth leaned on Bunny's shoulder. "Me too! We've been working non-stop!" Briar slid her head on Jack's lap. "Guardians, we did well today. Easter is saved!" North laughed. Sandy nodded in approval.

"It's too early to celebrate" a cold voice behind them said. Briar gasped. "Pitch!" she cried and the others spun around in alarm. Sure enough, Pitch Black was back. He grinned wickedly.

"I see. Complete are we?" his tone made Tooth's feathers ruffle with disgust. "What are you doin' 'ere?" Bunny asked, his voice shaking with rage. "Not on _my _gardens!" he growled. Pitch laughed. "Of course, silly me!" Pitch cackled and he faded into a small black cloud that circled the Guardians. "It's...disappointing" Pitch chose his words carefully. "Disappointing that I couldn't smash these second bunch of eggs" he roared with laughter.

Pitch finally settled down in front of the Guardians. "Oh! And is this my little Briar?" he tweaked her nose. She swatted the finger away. "I'm so not _your little anything_!" retorted. "Yes I forgot. Forgive me sweetie but I have business to do" Pitch faded again into a tiny puff of smoke and appeared again behind the Guardians. They spun around quickly.

"I lost my chance to..._play and have fun_...with those beautiful eggs" he sneered at Jack, putting emphasis on his words. The youngster gripped his staff tighter. "So...what do you say _I _have fun with _you_?" he laughed a sickening thunder of irritating sounds echoed in the Warren.

"Not this time!" Jack gritted his teeth. Sandy flipped his whip to his other hand and swung it around Pitch. Solid sand stalactites began to fall on top of his enemy. But Pitch smiled and simply disappeared again.

"You've learned new tricks" he complemented. "And he's about to test it on you!" Bunny swung his boomerangs away at Pitch which caught his shoulder. Pitch howled in pain. "You wanna play this the hard way?" he licked his pale lips. "Get your best shots ready!" he grinned wickedly. "I already had that in mind!" Tooth yelled as she slipped under Pitch and pulled his long coat down. Taken by surprise, Pitch smashed on the ground. "I wasn't ready then!" he said. He waved his hands in a circular motion.

Black petals began swooshing around madly and swiftly rammed Bunny in the stomach. He fell and Tooth hurried to him. Meanwhile, Briar was outraged. "What have you done this time?!" Briar was shaking with rage. "Those are my plants!" she yanked her hand away from her back and lashed a thorny briar whip against Pitch. "You'll pay! Did you now it took me fifty years to breed _those_ crossbreeds?" she yelled at him. Jack couldn't help but snicker. "She cares more about weeds than _most_ of those kids on the naughty list. But then again, she _is _a Guardian" North muttered and charged against their dark rival who was now hammering his friends.

Jack shot up in the air. Aiming, his ice stalactite pierced Pitch back, pinning his coat. "Argh!" Pitch yelled. With ragged breaths, he grinned wickedly. "Another lucky shot! But I'll be back!" Pitch dissolved into black smoke and flew up in the air where it faded.

"Bunny!" Briar dashed for the Guardian of Hope. "Just a scratch" Bunny said and stood up and dusted himself. "One more time you go to my Warrens mate! It'll be the end of ya!" he yelled to the sky. Tooth giggled. She slipped her arm on his. "Let's go home" she whispered. Sandy nodded sleepily.

Jack waited for Briar, tapping his foot gently. "Jack, you comin' mate?" Bunny asked. "Nah! I'm going somewhere" Jack replied. "Don't overdo it!" Bunny winked at his friend. "Good luck Jack" Tooth waved a hand at him. She clearly knew what Jack had up his sleeves. "Do this right lad" North too, and he yanked the reigns and the reindeers took off, leaving Jack and Briar in the Warrens.

"Come on" Jack took Briar's hand and her cheeks turned red. She looked away to hide the blush. "Where?" she asked him. Her gray-green eyes turned emerald. "I wanna show you something" Jack looked up the night sky. "Come on" he pulled her closer. Briar wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't make me fall. Or you'll suffer" she warned him. Jack laughed. "'Course not. Now hold on tight" his hand slipped around her waist and he leaped into the winds.

Floating gently on the winds a hundred feet above, Jack thought of a trick. He slowly let go of Briar's waist. Then she slipped. Her arms flailed. "JACK!" she screamed. Jack laughed as he shot down and immediately caught her by the hand and his hand slipped around her waist once again. "You do that on more time..." Briar clutched desperately on his neck. "I won't" Jack reassured her but his blue eyes were dancing. "Swear it" she gritted her teeth in the cold. "Alright, I swear" Jack gives her his trademark grin and his eyes continued dancing on.

Jack put Briar down beside a familiar chimney. "What are we doing here?" Briar asked as Jack slid upside down and peered into a window. He grinned and softly tapped at the snow-frosted glass. A teenage boy about the age of fourteen ran to the window and flung it open, catching Jack by surprise and nearly knocking him down if Briar hadn't clutched his sleeve and saved him from the fall. "Thanks" he told her silently and Briar shook her head.

"Jamie" Jack whispered as he turned to the boy. "Can we come in?" Jack asked. "We? Who's with you?" Jamie asked curiously. "A friend and she's practically freezing out here" Jack looked at Briar and winked. "I absolutely am not!" Briar hissed. Jack laughed and turned to Jamie. "Can we?" he asked. Jamie nodded and pushed the window all the way up. Jack pulled the reluctant Briar inside.

"Woah!" Jamie marveled at Briar. "The Spring Spirit!" he gasped. "You can see me kid, I mean, teen?" she asked. Jaime nodded. Briar's emerald eyes turned into glow-in-the-dark flashlights. Briar ran her fingers over her smooth hair. "Hi" she said shyly. Jack sat, cross-legged on the floor and laughed as Jamie began to hammer Briar with questions.

"Do you really make the flowers bloom every winter's end? Do you really live in a greenhouse? Is it near here? Where is it? And you and Jack real close" Jamie muttered. "She's your girlfriend?" he asked Jack who was floating lazily on the wind and was just nodding his head, not really listening but the last question snapped him awake.

"Mm hmmm" he said lazily, his eyes closed but suddenly flew open and he fell from his balance. "Us? No! No, no!" he waved his hands in protest. "Really?" Jamie eyed him suspiciously. "Really, really" Jack said, standing up. Briar let out a low giggle.

"Jamie, time for bed!"' Jamie's mom called from below. "Who're you talking to this time?" she asked. Jamie grinned at Jack and Briar. "Mom, There's Jack Frost's in my room and the Spring Spirit!" he called back. Below, his mom laughed. "Okay honey. Tell them to tuck you in. Good night!" she called.

Jamie slipped under his covers and Briar looked over as the fourteen year old handed Jack a sketchbook. "I wasn't doing anything in these past days. I figure I'd draw you out" he said sheepishly as Jack flipped the pages on the neat sketchbook. "They aren't very nice" Jamie added as Briar scooted over to see. Her eyes flashed.

"They aren't very nice" she agreed. "They're amazing! Astounding! Oh, where did you learn to draw like this?" she asked, her green eyes full of interest. "When I was ten I used to go to drawing class" Jamie said sleepily. "He's got me perfect!" Jack whispered to Briar. "Even your messy white hair" she giggled. Jamie laughed too but soon let out a big yawn. Briar and Jack laughed. "It's been years Jack. I'm glad you made it this time" Jamie murmured as he fell asleep. Briar smiled.

She ruffled the teen's hair. "Let's go Jack" she tugged gently at his sweater. "Up the roof" her breath was hot against his neck. "Sure" Jack pulled himself up to his feet and took Briar's hand. He peeked out of the window for Pitch but there was no sign of him. Jack quickly flew out and hauled Briar up into the chimney.

"It's pretty amazing" Briar murmured. "What is?" Jack asked, laughing at a child who got hammered in by snowballs. "Jamie" Briar replied. "What about him?" Jack asked curiously. "He's a teen now. Last I saw him he was five" Briar said. "It's amazing because he still believes. Even if he knows that his age isn't really the age of believers" she continued and slipped her head on Jack's lap. He blushed crimson and turned away. "It's a miracle he isn't bullied. I've seen teens, once believers, got bullied up and turned away" Jack agreed. "He's a good boy" Briar commented. Soon, she too, was asleep. She was exhausted, judging from the looks of her face but she was happy. The smile never left her face until some more time when she was already fully asleep and slipped into total unconsciousness.

"We had a pretty tiring day" Jack said to MiM. The moon shone a little brighter to show its approval. "What do I do now?" Jack asked, partly panicking. "Of course I have to take her home to the Pole but how? She can't travel by wind" he said to himself. He sighed deeply. "I'm gonna have to carry her then. I just hope North and the others won't notice" Jack muttered to himself as he slipped an arm under Briar's knees and the other behind her neck. She snuggled up to him and clutched his sleeve. Jack blushed redder.

Vines began to crawl up to Jack, briars leading the way. "Briar" he whispered. She clutched tighter like she was having a bad dream. Jack placed his forehead on hers. "I'm right here" he said. The vine slithered away, briars quietly raking the roof but woke no one.

Jack leaped up into the air, flying over the houses of Burgess and soon enough, strong winds came and Jack found himself on the North Mountains and in a small distance, saw North's factory beginning to shut down. It was a sign for Jack that no one else was awake.

The youngster flew slower than normal, blocking the wind's push. He dove a little down, just to make sure no one was following. But he was wrong. He was followed. Not physically chasing him but by the eyes.

Jack dove down, cradling Briar in his arms. She had once again gripped his sweater and the vines were pursuing him like predators. Jack flew faster, avoiding the clutches of the poison ivys and the deadly briar thorns.

When one caught his leg, Jak=ck winced a little and hesitantly froze the unfortunate plant. He battled his way to the factory, dread settling over him like a cloud of darkness. He shot up into the cool air, basking in the moonlight, to catch his breath. The vines couldn't reach him up there as there were nothing to act as trellises.

Eyes gleamed from a tiny speck, watching his every move and the owner grinned broadly and disappeared in the dark.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Rise of the Guardians. "Rise of the Guardians 2" is just a fan made fiction and copyright goes to its respective owners.


	3. Signs of Love

Chapter 3

From his telescope, North could see everything and it didn't surprise him when Jack dove for the front door, carrying an unconscious, sleeping Briar. He laughed. "Those two. Getting too close together" he said. "They just probably went out to get to know each other better" Tooth said. "Answer me mate. Why'd you turn off the lights? We're still around and I can't see a bloody thing in this darkness. "Shush!" North boomed. "I want to find out what those two are doing. It's a bogey trap!" he laughed in satisfaction. "The word is _booby _not _bogey_" Tooth corrected him. "You might be calling Pitch attention if you keep yapping those words" she pouted. Sandy nodded in agreement. "Oh, shush!" North turned back to his telescope. Jack and Briar were nowhere to be see but there was a soft click at the front door. They're here!

North whistled. "Quick everyone!" he hissed. "To our hiding places!" he ran up to Jack's room and hid under the bed. Bunny hid inside the nearby closet. Sandy flattened himself against the wall and, using new tricks, camouflaged himself with other colored sand to make him invisible. Tooth fluttered over to the small dresser and pushed herself in.

The next moment she finished curling up into the dresser did Jack came in. He laid Briar gently, pushed the stray locks of her hair away and pulled her covers up her chest. He sighed and flew up his bed. He stared at the ceiling for about two minutes then his eyelids fluttered shut.

The others waited another three minutes then came out of their hiding places. Jack's asleep so he didn't wake up. North, Tooth and Bunny tiptoed out of the room and Sandy met them on the way out. Together, they flopped themselves on the sofa in the old den.

"I thought something exciting would happen" North said, hanging his head. "SONMETHING HAS HAPPENED!" Tooth shrieked. Lucky, the den was five floors away from Jack and Briar's room. "Don't you see?" she asked eagerly. "Don't see what?" North asked. Sandy formed a heart on top of his head. "They're in love!" Bunny spoke for him. Sandy nodded vigorously. "He's got it!" Tooth hugged Bunny. "Ah, yes! I see the affection!" North said at last.

"We've got to get those two together! They're so cute!" Tooth fluttered here and there, restless. "But Jack, knowing him, he'll deny it. And simple miscommunications like that could lead to shatter" Bunny pointed out. Sandy demonstrated as the heart above his head shattered in a thousand pieces.

"Then we'll coax him to tell her" North said. "I see now how much feeling he has for Briar. I feel it" he grinned broadly. "Lemme guess" Bunny pretended to tap his chin. "In your belly?" he asked sarcastically. North laughed softly. "Not just in my belly, old friend" he said. "I also feel it in here" North placed his hand on his heart.

"We really have to get this thing going" Tooth muttered, half to herself and half to her companions. "Let's start by giving them a little more time together" Bunny stared at North. "Alone" he said firmly.

"It's near Christmas!" Tooth exclaimed. "Usually, teens have a Christmas party. More like prom but for Christmas. There'll be dancing and singing and…" "You think this is going to be the key of Jack and Briar's _love_?" Bunny asked her, cutting in. Tooth nodded her head vigorously. There's a month and a half. This half of October and the remaining November! It's a blast! We'll have time to think of a plan!" Tooth finished with a satisfied grin. "But we still have to coax Jack to tell the truth" Bunny said. "That'll be easy!" Tooth waved her hand over at his face. "I'll take care of that" she laughed.

Bunny froze. The high pitched tone of her laughter was music to his huge ears. He sighed and gazed at her lovingly. 'I want to go to that place' he said to himself. 'So I can tell you how much I love you' he sighed, deeper than the first time.

There was a soft click. The four Guardians jumped from their seats. Behind them, there was a soft giggle. "I thought I heard something" Briar's voice calmed their spirits. The four Guardians sat down and turned their head to look at her. "How in the world did I get here?" she asked sleepily.

Tooth and Bunny exchanged grins and winked at Sandy and North. They caught the signal and nodded. Briar was so sleepy she didn't even notice. "Briar" Tooth said slowly. "Would it scare you if we told you that you fell asleep on the way home? Jack had to carry you here" she said with a broad grin. Briar's eyes snapped open.

"Jack?!" she asked in disbelief. Her cheeks turned crimson. 'Just as I thought' Tooth said to herself. But the four other Guardians shared the same think in their heads. Briar gasped and clamped her hands on her mouth. "He must've thought I was so idiotic! What in the world have I made Jack think about me!" she cried and whimpered. "Don't worry Briar" North told her. "Jack was pretty cool with carrying you home. Actually..." he grinned at his fellow companions. "He liked it" he said. Bunny and Tooth giggled.

"He did?!" Briar asked, her eyes shining. The other four nodded their heads. "Really?" Briar asked anxiously. "He sure did. You gotta see how he put you in bed" Bunny snickered. "So gentle, totally the opposite of the _regular_ Jack" he grinned too. Sandy, smiling, nodded in agreement once again.

"Does he know?" Briar asked softly. "Know what? That you like him?" Tooth asked, eyebrow-raised. Briar's face turned red. "What?" she asked, ignoring the blush. "You like him don't you lassie?" North asked. Briar ducked her head.

"Why don't you come sit mate" Bunny gestured to the vacant fur chair beside Tooth. When Briar hesitated, Tooth flew over to her and gently pushed the reluctant girl and sat her down. "You start by telling us: What is Jack to you?" North was at the edge of his seat. Briar blushed again. "A friend! Just a friend!" she answered, waving her hands in the air. "Just a close friend" she calmed down. "True?" Bunny eyed her suspiciously. Briar ducked again.

"It started when I became _this_" she gestured to herself. "It was the end of fall. I had hoped to feel winter snow again. The next morning, my plants weren't doing very well. I had left the windows open overnight and a cold blizzard swept across the greenhouse as I slept in my tree. I pushed the door open and there he was" Briar blushed.

"I saw him, just having fun. Freezing up roads and making it snow. The children of course, were so happy and I thought they could see him. I-I became jealous of him. Because I wasn't believed in and I thought I was the only one. It left a pang in my heart" Briar bit her lip.

"After your battle with Pitch for the first time, I realized that he too wasn't believed in. Children couldn't see him, like me. But when I saw that that small thing didn't bother him that much outside, it kind of inspired me. He looked so mature, to hide his feelings like that, I couldn't do that kind of thing. Ever since Pitch's second defeat, I've been watching him for decades" Briar sighed and a blush once again crept along her cheeks. She shrugged.

"I thought it was a miracle, for me to be called again. I was getting lazy about this Guardian stuff. But when I heard he had become one, my spirits jumped. I like him, yeah. But…" Briar hung her head and her eyes turned dark. "I don't know. He probably has a girlfriend around or he probably thinks I'm a weirdo" she gnawed the inside of her cheek.

"You don't know that" Tooth told her reassuringly. "I bet he has some kind of feelings too, from the look on his face when he saw you all curled up when he put you in bed…" Tooth rubbed her index fingers together. "I kinda saw it that way" she said. "Really?" Briar's dark eyes turned gray-green. Sandy nodded. Briar smiled. "But does he have a girlfriend or something? I'm sure he has" she frowned and her eyes turned dark again.

"I hate to burst the bubbles but he doesn't" Bunny said bluntly. Briar's eyes turned emerald. "He doesn't?" she asked in disbelief then she frowned again. "I'm not dumb. Of course he has" she said, flipping her hair to one side. "No, unless he likes someone in the Guardians" North taunted. Briar blushed.

"Whatever!" Briar crossed her arms on her chest and drew a deep breath. "Jack has heard me sing and he's different from the others" she whispered. She sucked her breath again. "Why what did he tell you?" Tooth asked. Briar managed a small smile. "He said it was beautiful and no one's ever heard me sing and said it was pretty. Only Jack" she sighed.

"To counter that, I haven't heard you sing" North rubbed his hands. "Any songs up in there?" he patted Briar's head. "Just one" he pleaded. Sandy's mouth hang open, mimicking a dog waiting for treats. "Alright" Briar sicked her breath once more and licked her lips.

_Tall dark and super manly_

_Puts his papers in his briefcase and drives away_

_To save the world or go to work_

_It's the same thing to me_

North smiled. Briar's voice made him comfy. It sounded like fresh rose petals falling down a soothing river. Bunny had sagged back in his seat, eyelids drooping drowsily. Tooth rested her chin on her knee and blinked sleepily. Sandy was still like a wagging-tailed dog waiting for the chorus. When they snapped out of trance, Briar was at the verse before the chorus.

_You smile and say "How are you?"_

_And I'll say "Just fine"_

_I always forget to tell you I love you_

_I'll love you forever_

_I watched Superman fly away_

_You've got a busy day today_

_To save the world_

_I'll be around_

_I watched Superman fly away_

_Come back, I'll be with you someday_

_I'll be right here on the ground_

_When you come back down..._

Briar's eyes were close, focused on the soothing melody. Tooth sighed. Her eyes turned to Bunny who had his foot tapping with the beat of the song. Her feathers ruffled with excitement. If she had a one chance to talk to him alone, she'd be very happy.

Briar heard the clock chime three times. "It's three o'clock!" she jumped to her feet. "Whoa! What's the rush?" North asked. "I gotta go!" Briar bolted for the stairs and ran to her room. "What's she up to?" North turned to Sandy. The other man shrugged.

Briar dashed to her room. Jack sat on the open window, the snow and cold winds flowing right in. Briar shivered. "You're early" she commented. Jack laughed. "Heard a commotion downstairs but too lazy to get down. Figured I'd stay here" he said. Briar sat down beside him. "I—I'm sorry about last night" she stammered, her face turning red. "Last night? About what?" Jack asked, carefully creating a snowball and blowing on a little touch of frost in it. "Y—You had t—to carry me home last night. I must've been a burden" Briar pulled at her long brown hair. "Are we still talking about that?" Jack asked her grinning. She blushed harder. Jack patted her shoulder. "Let's get that over with" he tossed her the snowball.

"Bulls-eye!" he laughed as the ball hit Briar in the face. The girl screamed in shock. She wrung her face of the frosty crystals and pouted playfully at Jack. "You're gonna pay for that!" she formed a snowball in her palm and threw it at Jack. It hit him in forehead and he stumbled back and fell from the roof.

"Jack!" Briar peered from the roof's edge. "SNOWDAY!" Jack rose up on the winter winds. Briar laughed. "You are so crazy!" she giggled. "That's what I am" Jack said with a mocking grin.

A snowball hit him in the back of his head. Briar laughed at him, snowball in hand. "Alright, that's it!" Jack swooped down and began to tickle her non-stop. "Jack!" Briar tried to pry herself away but with no luck. She laughed and Jack continued. From below, Bunny and Tooth watched. "Sweet" Tooth commented. "He's lucky. Briar's no cheater. She's a good girl" Bunny

They hid in the bushes when North returned. "Somebody help me!" he said as Jack caught a glimpse at a tiny figure with brown hair start clinging to his pant leg as North tried desperately to shake it off.

Jack peeked out. Briar followed as Sandy decided to help North. The little man aimed a knock-out ball at the figure but it missed and hit North. The big man toppled backward and was soon asleep. The figure rolled away, giggling.

"Hold the phone, I know you!" Briar picked the squirmy thing up. The little thing giggled in her hands. It was bundled in thick blankets and it's brown hair stuck out from a woven cap.

"Alice Liddell!" Briar gasped. The figure laughed. "Oh my gawd! We have an outsider! What are you doing here?" Briar knelt adown and pushed the brown locks of hair away from the eyes of the figure. It was a little girl. "Yeah, about that. Sorry" a british accent filled the air.

Another brown haired figure appeared. Her hair was done into braids and her clothes were similar to Briar's except her sweater was red. An autumn spirit.

"Woah Autumn!" Briar hugged the other spirit. "I need your help Briar" Autumn said and Jack detected a hint of nervousness in her voice. "I need your help. I need to speak with North" Autumn said. "Sandy!" Briar barked. The little man kicked North's chin and he awoke with a jolt. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he said jumping up. "Autumn! You've grown!" he said, gesturing to the new spirit. "And in big trouble" Autumn snapped.

"Trouble?" Bunny had hopped beside North with Tooth beside him. "Yeah. Would you guys mind if I borrowed Briar? I need her" Autumn repeated. "Whatever for?" Tooth asked in clumsy British. "I need protection. She is a Guardian now and the closest I can turn to. And her duty, as a Guardian, is to protect not only the children but fellow spirits and sprites alike" Autumn said with her british accent. "Yeah. I know but what exactly is your problem?" Briar said with the same accent but just a little better. She planted her hands on her waists.

"My sprites are dying and Pitch is behind it" Autumn said flatly. "If I don't make the maple leaves carpet the floor in the countries where it is fall, the small animals and some snakes that live in the forset floor will die. I have to move but I can't do it alone. My sprites are corrupted with some kind of disease. I don't know what. But I'm sure I need a healer and a plant expert to brew the herbs. And right now, Briar's who I turn to" she looked at Briar with puppy eyes.

Briar looked at Jack. "I have to" she mouthed the words. He nodded quickly. "Be back before sunset and if you don't brew enough, come back the next day. I don't want you out after dusk" he said. "Yes dad" Briar rolled her eyes laughing. "He's right. You can't stay out until dark. Pitch, ya know" Bunny warned her. "Be careful!" Tooth called as her friend pulled out black clumps of berries.

"Hold on one sec!" Autumn said, raising her hands. "Come 'ere Alice and I have one question for you two" she pointed at Briar and Jack. "Are you together?" she asked. "NO!" they said in unison. Jack fell off his stick. Briar blushed red. "We better go" she steered the whining Autumn and the hyper-active Alice away from the others and she flung the berries on the ground.

The berries spewed dark blue smoke. When it faded, Briar had gone, with Autumn and Alice with her. Jack had his eyebrows raised. Bunny nudged him with a furry elbow. "Night lock berries" Tooth mumbled.

"You got great tastes mate" he said with a wide grin. "Briar's a _good_ girl with a touch of naughtiness" he said. "What are you talking about?" Jack's cheeks turned pink as her swatted the furry hand away. "You're not making sense" he said frowning.

"I make perfect sense mate!" Bunny flung an arm around Jack. "It's obvious my boy! Just tell 'er how ya really feel" he said, his breath hot against Jack's ear. Jack yanked himself away. "Look I—I don't know what you're talking about. Briar and I are just friends!" Jack protested. Bunny laughed. "Seriously? Man, it is hard to crack the ice" he said laughing.

"Jack, is Briar just a friend? _Just a friend_?" Tooth asked, her purple eyes dancing. And when Jack hesitated to answer, she sighed deeply. "This is going to be harder than we thought" she muttered.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but my Original Character. I don't own ROTG, it's characters and I also don't own once again the song the Briar sang. It's part Taylor Swift's song, (at the request of my older sister) "Superman." She liked it and she just asked me to put it in.


	4. Dark Factory

Chapter 4

Briar strolled along Autumn's garden which was filled with maple leaves. "I grow maples too. But I don't know what to do with their leaves when fall comes. Suppose I stitch their leaves together?" Briar asked, smoothing the back of her cauldron. "Maybe. Aren't you done there yet? There's a new epidemic this time around. I don't know how you manage to spread spring all in one day and help the flowers bloom in the second. Do you have a helper? Sprites or fairies?" Autumn walked beside Briar. "I work alone. I like it better that way" Briar said, gently brushing off water from the maple leaves. "Besides, Jack Frost spreads winter by himself and plays with kids after. That's a little more tiring than what I do" Briar pointed out. "Point taken" Autumn said.

Briar returned to her potion and scooped up the horrid liquid from the cauldron. "Eeew. What's that?" Autumn said in disgust. "It's called Wilting Leaf" Briar said, carefully pouring the glop into a small vial and proceeded with the next. When she had filled fifty vials, Briar came to rest. Autumn picked up a vial and examined the contents.

"You'll have to wait. It takes two hours before the glop turns beautiful" Briar said, leaning on a maple chair she had stitched. "What's the dosage of these?" Autumn asked. "Let your fairies drink it every five hours. Each vial for a fairy. Each vial has drops up to two weeks. One drop each fairy. That'll do the trick" Briar picked up another vial and scooped up the remaining glops. She poured them and slightly giggled as Autumn gasped. The black glop that was supposed to be the potion turned salmon in color then gold. Soon, it turned reddish-orange, the color of dried maple leaves.

Briar gasped as she saw the sun was setting, letting out a rich orange color. "I have to get back!" she cried. "Wait!" Autumn grabbed her arm. "Autumn!" Briar tried to yank her hand away. "Here" Autumn handed her a small necklace. Briar fastened it round her neck. "It helps you travel by wind. Served me well but I don't need it anymore" she said. Briar thanked Autumn and jumped off. The winds carried her along, the way Jack did but it was much more fun with him around, Briar had to admit.

She shot up and whispered to her own globe. A portal appeared before her and she pelleted down to the North Pole.

"Jack? North? Anybody in here?" Briar's voice echoed along the darkened hall. The yetis were gone. The sun had set and the moon was big. "Briar?" a voice called softly from behind a small corner. Briar groped the wall. It was dark and she couldn't see. She finally found a small lamp and lit it.

The small light source cast its feeble glow around, caasting eerie shadows at the same time. The factory was torn apart. The papers were blown and scattered around the factory. The yetis were helping themselves up. The elves were shaking with fear. The toys were wrecked, shattered and broken. Briar gasped and scurried to help. North clutched his swords, Tooth and Bunny were sprawled beside him. Jack was lying near his overturned closet and Sandy was flopped on Jack's messy beed.

"Jack! North! Tooth!" Briar dashed for Jack and knelt beside him. He coughed a little then wiped off his sweaty brow. "Good thing he didn't come for you in the dark" he muttered. "What happened?" Briar asked. She slipped one arm under Jack's and helped him up. His breathing was ragged and his heart beat rapidly.

"Briar, where've you been mate?" Bunny asked. He was bruised himself but he still staggered to help Tooth stand. Briar wasn't surprised. After all, Tooth was Bunny's girlfriend.

North eased himself up into a chair. "Pitch came" he said with disgust. "He wrecked everything. Stole everything and destroyed the toys I'm supposed to give out next next week!" North thrust his head into his hands and heaved a big sigh. "Where were you?!" Tooth yelled angrily.

Briar fell backward, surprised by the fairy's rage. "Tooth!" Bunny gripped her arm. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Tooth calmed down. "I'm sorry. I'm just really mad at Pitch right now" she said, avoiding Briar's eyes.

A sudden echo of laugh filled the room. Jack staggered to stand on his own feet. Sandy supported him. "Pitch" he muttered. Briar smelled blood. She glared at Jack. His lip was bleeding and his jacket was so plastered into his wound on his left shoulder.

"Come back to your old abandoned home, traitor?" Pitch's image resurfaced from the untouched globe where the lights were ticking off fast. Briar claenched her fists. "What are you doing here? One attack isn't good enough for you?" she said furiously. "Look at you! The damage you've done to children! The abuse!" she said, shaking with rage. Pitch laughed calmly. "I make a service. Of making them stronger. You cannot learn without fear. It's always there" he crossed his arms across his chest. "Fear is always present. I just manipulate it. You don't see what it does, do you?" he sneered.

Briar remained silent. Pitch raised his black eyebrows. "You see the pattern of destruction, I know you do. Fear is engulfing this world, children need to leave the fairytales behind. It's all together a better ride" he said. "How is this better? The children fear everything, ever their own shadows and you just use them to make you stronger!" Briar snapped. "I don't use them. I simply teach them that this world isn't so fun and happy. There is always the dark part" Pitch laughed wickedly. "You don't know your own mind, Briar. What you claimed not to know is merely what you've denied. And now here you are, preferring the hot stinking breath and unyeilding attention of a potent unreasoning, unfeeling hell-raiser?" he inquired. "My friends aren't hell-raisers. They're the best the world could offer!" Briar retorted. "It's always about your friends, isn't it?" Pitch snickered. "At least I have some!" Briar ran her fingers at her long thorny scythe.

"You can't kill me! You're from my darkness. No matter how many times you defeat me, the darkness in your heart keeps calling me back!" Pitch spat out. "You're talking nonsense!" Briar snapped. "You think that it is I who is to be stopped? The darkness in your heart will spread. Destruction incarnate! That's what you are. Well, your view conceals a tragedy. The whole truth you seek eludes you because you don't look at what's around you!" Pitch conjured up a black bow and arrow. "You're mad. As mad as a human's hatter. You can never stop me! I'm the darkness in you! I am you!" Pitch yelled. "I'm everything you're not!" Briar yelled.

She flicked her long scythe and it crashed beside Pitch. The man leaped up and faded. Briar stood alert. "Briar" Jack croaked. The air was pushed well out of his lungs. Briar didn't hear him. Black smoke crept up behind her. "Briar!" Jack released a groan. Briar heard him and spun around. Pitch's fist smashed into her jaw. Briar toppled backward, her lip bleeding. Pitch darted behind her and his arrow crashed into her stomach. Briar fell forward groaning in pain, her hands searching for her scythe.

She ducked suddenly and Pitch stumbled forward. Briar swung her scythe around in a circle until she heard a yowl of pain. She stopped and Pitch's hands were stained with black blood. He faded again into black smoke. He slipped behind her and smacked the side of his hand at the back of her neck. He dashed in front of her and puched her in the chest. Briar was tossed away like a ragdoll. She hit her back on a pillar and the air was knocked out of her chest.

Pitch approached her and smiled weakly. His chest was slashed deep and was overflowing with dark blood. "Die slowly" he said as he fell to his knees and faded into black smoke. Briar felt for her forehead. It was bleeding heavily. She reached for her handkerchief and dabbed it on her forehead. Jack raced to her. "You okay?" he asked with a hint of worry in his voice. "Yeah. You?" she asked. "Liar" Jack's hands reached her cheek. she blushed but it wasn't noticable because she was drained of color. "Come on, you have to breath" he ordered her gently. "In and out" he said and Briar obeyed.

North walked over to her. Sandy too. Bunny helped Tooth up and they dashed to her. "She needs medicine" Tooth gasped as she saw blackness spread across the wound like venom. It was creeping slowly but deadly.

Bunny flinched. Briar gripped Jack's sweater. "Stay" she said, her voice hoarse and faint. "I'm staying right here" Jack said, clutching her hand back like a lifeline. "Briar, I'm sorry but this is gonna hurt" he said, his furry hand twirling around the black arrow. Tooth gripped Briar's shoulder. "Just breathe, okay?" she smiled gently. Briar's eyes stung with tears that soon rolled down her pale cheeks. "Careful Bunny!" North warned him. Briar was bleeding heavily now. "Guys, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine" Briar struggled to sit up but the pain stung her deeply and a groan escaped her lips. "Eaither way, we still have to pull it out" Bunny said firmly.

Bunny tugged. Briar let out a pained scream. Jack couldn't take it anymore. She was hurt and there he was, doing nothing. "Sandy! Knock her out!" he ordered. Sandy showered a patch of golden sand on Briar's head. She fell unconscious but her hand still clutched Jack's. The black inky glop spread a little more. The arrow was out. North plastered the wound and Sandy tried comanding the black sand that tried to enter her to stop by turning it back into his sand. Briar was unconscious and Tooth was sobbing.

Jack carried her to their room and laid her on her bed as gentle as he could. That's when he noticed that not even Bunny could calm Tooth's breaking spirits. He didn't know why. He walked over. Tooth was literally breaking apart. She dropped to her knees and crawled over to a dark corned and tucked her head between her knees and continued crying. "Tooth, she's gonna be fine. What's in your mind?" Bunny put and arm around her. "Tooth, what's going on?" Jack asked, his heart racing.

"Briar" Tooth croaked. "She's gonna be alright" Bunny assured her. "There's something about me and her" Tooth said between sobs. "What? What's going on Tooth?" Jack asked frowning. It was the first time they saw the worry on his face. Usually, Jack was so carefree. But today, right after Briar was somehow _poisoned_ by Pitch, Jack had become so serious. He'd become a different person.

"I'm just so scared. I just failed her once, I don't want to fail her again!" Tooth sobbed into Bunny's chest. "She was my little sister. We had our little routine everyday when it was time after school. We'd go out and play" she stopped to let a small sob escape from her pale lips. "Briar's your sister?" Jack asked in disbelief. Tooth nodded. "One day, my parents asked me to look for something, my mother's shawl in the forest. She said she dropped it while collecting some wild berries. I tried to stop her but Briar was so...stubborn. she clung to me like a little monkey nad no matter how many times I tried to tell her that the forest was no place for a twelve year old, she refused to listen and still clung to me. So I was forced to bring her along" Tooth gulped, shaking at the horrid memory.

"I was fascinated when I saw Briar playing with the little dying plants. Her gentle fingers would sweep them up to live again. Briar, even when she was little, love plants, big and small, weeds and berries, she loved them all. By the time we ventured in, she kept a close watch for anything unusual. She would whisper to the plants and somehow, her belief that they would reply would tell her things. Some of them proved to be true" Tooth brushed a tear that was rolling on her cheek.

"She asked a weed if it had seen my mother's shawl. I thought she was crazy but she pointed to a small lake. The shawl was wrapped tightly on a tree. She said the weed told it to her and she even thanked it. I don't remember the kind but it was a little shallow-rooted" Tooth laughed slightly.

"But when we reached closer, a group of hummingbirds tried to fuse in with me. They pecked at me and I sort of lost it. I followed them and bit by bit, left Briar alone. Years after, I woke up. I looked like this. I was chosen by MiM. But that was about five hundred years ago!" Tooth rubbed her gold feathers on her wrists.

"I was told that Briar had died. She had drowned in that same lake we had seen the shawl. She had drowned herself because of me. I wasn't there anymore. I was gone" Tooth finished with a sigh. "I never really thought she would become one of us" she said, bowing her head. Suddenly, she flinched.

"That lake!" she said jumping up. "That's why it's so familiar to me when we got you showed us!" she said, her feathers ruffling. "That lake is the same lake that _you_ drowned in!" she said, pointing at Jack. "Me?" he asked. "Of course silly! That's why—" Tooth gasped as she saw something behind Jack and she fluttered quickly to it.

She gasped and clamped her hands to her mouth. "Tooth, what is it?" Bunny asked, going beside her. Tooth sighed again, but this time, she was terrified. "The plants!" she cried. "They're all dying!" she cried. Bunny looked around. "Tooth, it's winter. All plants die at winter. They just come up again when it's spring" he said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close.

"No!" Tooth screamed in frustration. "I don't mean the plants _here_!" she practically screamed. "What are you talking about?" North asked and Sady followed him with a question mark above his head. "I don't mean the plants up here! I'm talking about the plants in Briar's greenhouse!"

She was frantic and literally panicking. She flitted here and there, muttering and cursing to herself then she snapped. She stood still. "Guys, you have to see this" she said. Her purple eyes had gone blank. She gripped Bunny and Jack's hand.

She closed her eyes. Before the two was the same greenhouse they had been days ago. The leaves were drooping, turning brown and crispy. Jack gasped as he saw the shattered greenhouse. The glasses were shattered and broken. The tables were overturned. The cauldron had its contents spilled and glass jars with herbs were scattered everywhere.

Suddenly, they went back. They went back to reality. "Tooth, what was that? What does that mean?" Jack asked. The others detected horror in his voice. "That means..." Tooth choked down her tears. "Briar!" she flitted to Jack's room, the winter spirit and the Easter Bunny behind her. North and Sandy went up the other way.

"Briar!" Tooth burst into the room. Briar lay unconscious but without the golden sand. She was asleep. Or she had fainted. But that wasn't to be worried about.

The black sand now corrupted her, crawling up her face like long tendrils of a tree. Her face had markings, branches of black sand were spreading across her face, her arms. She was breathing very slowly.

Her chest went up...down...up...up...down...down. then everything went still. Jack knelt beside the bed and took Briar's hand. It was cold but she wasn't dead. Once again, she filled her lungs and let it out.

"What's happening?" he almost yelled. "She's dying, to put it bluntly but don't worry, I didn't put deadly poison into her. Just something to corrupt her mind" Pitch was standing across the room. He grinned as he faded into smoke and disappeared again.

"Corrupt her mind? What does that mean?" Jack asked. But Pitch's laugh returned no answer. Briar's eyes fluttered open. "Jack, Tooth, Bunny, North, Sandy? Guys, what happened?" Briar tried sitting up but she yelp in pain and fell back on the bed. The sand drew out of her body and swirled out of sight. Not one remained on her. But the wound... it was red now, not black so it was normal. But what to do with that? She was more vulnerable with that thing bugging her.

Briar struggled. She tried to ignore the pain shooting from her injured belly. She cursed herself in five different languages. "Briar, calm down" Jack said. Sandy put a comforting arm around her. Jack felt something boil up inside him. 'I'm supposed to do that, not you Sandy. She's mine' he thought angrily to himself. 'He's just worried about her. He's also her friend. And besides, you didn't really tell her how you feel Jack' Jack scolded himself.

"You okay Jack?" Briar squeezed his hand. Jack blushed pink and he ducked to hide it. "Yeah, I'm good" he said. Briar smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank goodness none of you are hurt like me" she giggled like the pain wasn't bothering her anymore. 'Maybe it doesn't anymore, really' Briar thought to herself. 'Because I believe in my friends. I believe as long as I have them, I'll be okay. I'll always be okay' she reassured herself.

North cleared his throat. "Briar" he said slowly. "I—we want to thank you for standing up for us" he said, scratching his beard. "Yeah mate. Thanks for that" Bunny said. Tooth pressed her lips on Briar's forehead. "Just try to get well, okay?" Tooth smiled gently. "Okay" Briar held Tooth's hand near her cheek. Jack fidgeted on his place.

"I want to tell her" he said to the moon. "I try but when it gets there, I just can't" Jack said, running his fingers on his snow white hair. "I want to tell Briar. I want to tell her how I feel but I don't know how" Jack slipped upside-down to see if Briar was asleep. She was. Jack balanced himself back on his bed. He sighed and finally got up. Jack grabbed his staff and headed out. It was already five in the morning and he expected someone was already up.

He waved his staff in the remade factory. The snow fell slightly and he heard a faint sneeze. His blue eyes adjusted to the dim light and was just enough to make out long bunny ears.

"Bunny?" Jack squinted his eyes to see better. "Hey Frostbite" Bunny beckoned for him sheepishly. Jack pretended to act cool. "Ah, Bunny! Just who I wanted to see" Jack zipped towards Bunny and sat himself beside his friend. "Something's troubling you, ain't it?" Bunny asked. Jack raised his hands in defeat. "You got me" he said laughing. "What is it?" Bunny asked. "Ya know mate, you can tell me anything. Ain't we buds now?" he nudged Jack with a furry elbow.

Jack sighed. "It's Briar isn't it?" Bunny asked. Jack nodded. "It's always about her. My world started with her" Jack admitted. Bunny was at the edge of his seat.


	5. Confessions

Chapter 5

"Jack, spit it out" Bunny egged him on. Jack sighed again. "Say Bunny, how did you tell Tooth that you liked—loved her?" Jack asked and drew his breath. He expected Bunny to burst out laughing but he didn't. His eyes were serious.

"Jack, we had a long, long time before we became what we are. We had fights and arguments but the trick is: Just be yourself" Bunny said. "She'll like you for who you are and what you are. That is true love" Bunny said. "How did you tell her?" Jack asked, unable to hide the interest in his eyes.

"I took her out somewhere quiet where we were alone. I look in her eyes, focus on the blush and smile" Bunny sighed, reliving the memory. "I brush her hair and twine it in my fingers. That sets them off. Then you whisper in her ear how you really feel" Bunny grinned proudly at himself.

"Then she'll accept? What if Briar hates me? I'm naughty and clumsy and full of acts of mischievousness. She'll never like me" Jack tucked his head between his knees.

Bunny patted his back. "Jack, me and Tooth didn't really want to break the news to you immediately but you know mate" Bunny scratched his head. "Briar's falling for someone" he said. "Actually, she fell in love with this guy but she's scared her feelings aren't reciprocated" Bunny said. "And this guy's not me, right?" Jack asked without looking up. "You've got it wrong man. You're that guy. She loves you for a hundred years already" Bunny said.

Jack stood up. "You're kidding me" Jack scowled at Bunny. "Am not" Bunny said. "You figure it out yourself" he scoffed. "Yeah. Wish me luck" Jack waved it off sarcastically.

Jack headed up the stairs. He heard muffled voices. Tooth's voice was one of them. The other was none other than Briar's. Jack quietly flew up and pressed his ear against his closed door. The voices came from there.

"Tooth, I'm telling you! He doesn't like me! This is useless. Might as well say 'I love you' to him when he's not listening" Briar's voice sounded sad and grieving. Jack frowned. 'They're talking about me' Jack thought grimly and decided to listen more.

"You don't understand sis!" Tooth said. "He likes you. I've been telling you that! Why don't you listen?" Tooth asked. "Because he doesn't really love me! What if he knows the truth?" Briar demanded. "Bunny knows about it and he understands" Tooth said gently. "He knows that you were once Pitch's girlfriend?" Briar said aghast.

Jack toppled backward with what he just heard. "Tooth?" he asked softly. "I was his girlfriend too, right after you died and you know about that" Briar said. "But you're not now. Jack won't mind. He's kind and he'll understand" Tooth said comfortingly.

But, turns out, she was wrong. 'She lied to me! And I really thought this could work' Jack said furiously. 'She was Pitch's girlfriend! Why didn't she tell me? She could've told me rather than I over-hearing it' he thought angrily to himself.

Suddenly, the door flung open. Briar stepped out. Jack cursed under his breath. Briar gulped and passed him quietly. When she was a couple of inches in front of him, Jack snorted. "Still planning on hiding it?" he demanded, unable to hide the anger in his voice.

Briar spun around, eyes shining with tears. She's caught. "What?" she asked, pretending not to know anything. "You were Pitch's girlfriend?!" Jack asked, practically yelling. Briar bowed her head. "Yeah I was" she said, her voice shaky. "You didn't tell me? But everyone knew about it. But I wasn't one of them. Why?" he demanded. "Jack, I thought..." Briar started but Jack cut her off. "Oh yeah? Well you thought wrong!" he yelled and Briar stumbled backward. With that, Jack stormed out.

"I knew this would happen" Briar murmured. "I best be gone. You can't be happy with me around" she said. Briar flew out the window and stayed there until dark. When Jack had retreated to his room and locked the door, Briar peeked in. She hid when Jack would face her position.

Soon, Jack threw his pillow against the wall, totally out of character. "Why didn't she tell me?" he gritted his teeth. "Jack, you are acting so immature!" he scolded himself. "Where is she?" Jack paced his room, his bare feet tapping lightly on the wooden floor.

Briar had decided it was best to say good-bye. She had been useless so far. She couldn't even confess her own feelings for Jack. She knew she was useless, weak as she had ever been. Just like when she was still normal. She was beautiful as many have told her, but she decided that was only in the outside. She wasn't inside. And after being together with the baddest guy on Earth, Briar had decided she was a freak girl. Unwanted and unloved. How could anyone love her? She was useless, weak, ugly on the inside and filled with darkness. Briar looked down. 'Be strong. It's just good-bye and you've said that quite often. You haven't run out yet. This should be easy' she sucked her breath and came out of her hiding place.

"Jack" she said softly. Jack raced to the window. "Briar! I thought You wouldn't come back!" he cried. But as he reached for her, she flew fast backwards. "Briar?" Jack bit his lip. "Look, I'm sorry. I was just..." Jack was cut off by Briar. She started to sing.

_The sun is filling up the room_

_And I can hear you dreaming_

_Do you feel the way I do_

_Right now?_

_I wish we would just give up_

'_Cause the best part is falling_

_Call it anything_

_But love_

"Briar, what are you saying?" Jack reached for her. Briar flew a bit back. Jack flew up beside her and she flew farther away. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

_And I will make sure to keep my distance_

_Say 'I love you' when you're not listening_

_And how long_

_Can we keep this up?_

"No Briar! Come back here!" Jack swooped beside her and Briar went away, his opposite direction. Her eyes were now streaming with tears, she slowly let them go.

Briar landed in a patch of grass and Jack caught up to her. He grabbed her arm. "Briar, please!" he pleaded. Briar yanked her arm free and ran. Jack flew after her. Briar stopped as a high rock cliff blocked her way. Jack was already behind her.

"Briar! Why are you running? Come on, let's go home" Jack held out his hand. Briar cowered back in a far corner.

_Please don't stand so close to me_

_I'm having trouble breathing_

_I'm afraid of what you'll see_

_Right now._

_I'll give you everything I am_

_All my broken heart beats_

_Until I know_

_You'll understand_

"Briar, what's wrong?" Jack approached her. Briar bit her lip as thorny briars jutted out of the rock and Jack was forced to step backward.

_I will make sure to keep my distance_

_Say 'I love you' when you're not listening_

_And how long_

_Can we keep this up?_

Jack reached out again. "Don't worry. I'm not mad at you. I was being a jerk lately. I'm sorry about that" he said with complete seriousness. Briar shook her head.

_And I keep waiting_

_For you to take me_

_You keep waiting_

_To say what we have_

Briar shot up again in the air, desperate to get away from Jack. But he followed close and shot up and began chasing her. "Why are you running? Why are you saying good-bye?" he demanded. This caused Briar to stop, a feet away from Jack. She floated silently on mid-air and continued to sing.

_So I'll make sure to keep my distance_

_Say 'I love you' when you're not listening_

_And how long_

_Can we keep this up?_

She pelleted down to the ground and began calling her magic, green vines and plants to desperately block Jack's way. But Jack's magic froze her magic plants and burst into the trees, desperate to not lose Briar. Briar's tears were rolling fast down her cheeks. She flew on, jinxing the trees to stop Jack or to delay him. 'I have to get away!' she thought. The last chorus was the part where she yelled to Jack while she kept zapping at the greenery.

_Make sure to keep my distance_

_Say 'I love you' when you're not listening_

_How long can we call this love,_

_Love, love!_

Briar felt weak. She used too much energy. She flew slower than usual and she stopped magicking the green around her. They were above a green forest now. Briar dove down and Jack shot after her.

Briar landed on a clearing, a circle spot with no trees, just green grass. Jack landed beside her and managed to wrap an arm around her to keep her from running away. Briar squirmed and wriggled away but Jac held his grip tighter and tighter. She screamed but no one came. Finally, she broke down into tears and sank down to the grass. Jack loosened his grip and let her flop herself down on the ground while he held her close.

Briar's tears were overflowing. She covered her face with her hands and continued to sob, her cries making Jack cringe. He hated to see her cry. He just hated it!

"Briar" Jack wrapped his arms around her and let her head fall on his chest. She continued crying. Jack buried his nose into her brown hair. "Shh" Jack said, smoothing her hair with one hand as the other held her. "Don't be mad at me" Briar gasped for breath and said the words between sobs. "I'm not mad at you" Jack assured her. Briar sobbed louder.

"I'm sorry Jack" she whispered. "I'm so—so sorry!" she sobbed. "It's okay" Jack said. "You're not mad at me? For not telling you?" Briar asked, surprised. "No. I guess I was kinda shocked a while ago I didn't really think straight" Jack scratched his head. "Y-you were yelling at me" Briar cried. "I didn't mean any of that. I swear" Jack hugged her which made his cheeks flush bright pink and Briar blushed angry red. She choked down tears. Jack faced to look at her and wiped her tears away.

The night had fallen and it would be very risky to leave now. Pitch could be anywhere. "Can you fly?" Jack asked. Briar shook her head sadly. "I used too much energy. I've always been weak anyway" she said. "I'll carry you home" Jack offered. This time, Briar didn't blush. She was much too sad. She crouched by a tall tree she had managed to conjure with her remaining magic for the day. Jack looked at her. Briar shook her head.

"Jack, go home. They'll be looking for you" Briar said softly. "I can't leave you alone in the forest. I'll stay here until you're ready to leave and we'll go home together" Jack flopped on the grass beside her. Briar buried her head in her knees. "I'm so sorry" she said. "What are you apologizing about?" Jack asked. "For being weak. For being such a baby" Briar's long hair fell down, covering her face.

Jack suddenly felt the urge to tell her. He crooked one finger under her chin which seems to startle her. "Briar" he whispered. His breath, cold against her skin, made her body tingle. The whisper made her tense. Briar gazed into Jack Frost's blue eyes.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own ROTG. I only own my OC! I also DON'T own the song Briar sang. It's entitled "Distance" sung by Christinna Perri. I put it here because of my little sister's request. So far, she's better in romance than me. :P

Author's Note: I don't plan on going any farther than what's written in this chapter. Jack and my OC are way too young to go any farther than that. I don't plan on going farther than desperate kisses and dates under the moonlight. That's the limit. I don't want those scenes since I just said, Jack is said to be 18 and my OC's 17. For me, it's way too young.


	6. Trust Me Even In Death

Chapter 6

Jack rubbed his eyes. He felt for his staff. It was laid beside him. Jack groaned as the sun's rays hit him directly in the eyes. Jack sat up. 'Had it all been a dream, or did I just do it? Did I just tell Briar how I feel?' he thought to himself. He jumped to his feet and scanned the area. Lush trees, green grass. 'It wasn't a dream' Jack clambered up one of the trees. He gazed out. North would be yelling at him if he came home now.

"BOO!" long, brown hair brushed his face. Big, round brown eyes stared at him. Briar laughed. "Good morning sleepyhead" she gave him a gentle knock on the forehead. Jack laughed as he pushed her hair away. "Hurry up! We gotta go home!" she giggled. Jack flew down and Briar followed.

"Where are we?" Jack asked. "I don't know" Briar said casually. Jack raised an eyebrow. "I do know it's near my greenhouse so I figured I'd drop by a little. I miss my greenhouse. It's kinda nostalgic" Briar added. "Uh-huh" Jack nodded in agreement. A small rustle in the bushes.

Briar and Jack stood alert, pressing their backs together. Jack pulled his staff close. Briar felt for some thorny knives at her belt. There was another rustle.

Out of the thicket, a Fearling leapt at Jack. The winter spirit raised his staff and icy blue swirls came out, turning the Fearling into a popsicle. Another galloped up to Briar. With a quick motion of her left hand, she slipped her hand underneath the beast and her knife jutted out of its back. Briar gasped as the Fearling vanished into black petals. Slowly, the grass turned brown and crispy. Briar's hand faded into petals for a second and reappeared again.

Another Fearling plummeted down. He'd come from the sky, somewhere up. Jack and Briar stumbled on opposite directions. Jack slammed the end of his staff on the Fearling's head. The scream in pain stabbed Briar in every angle. She silently yelped as she clutched her forearm. She felt smooth, silky material. Rose petals.

From nowhere, there was another rustle. A loud, evil laugh rang out in the clearing. "I knew I'd find you here" Pitch stepped out from a huge maple tree. "Pitch" Jack and Briar scrambled to their feet. Pitch laughed again. "Oh, this is precious. What do you say you come with me to that Christmas Dance in Burgess?" Pitch sneered at Briar. Briar clenched her fists. "Never!" she yelled as she drew closer to Jack.

"Oh yes!" Pitch said, clapping his hands. "You have a new favorite" he sneered. "Don't you touch her!" Jack raised his staff threateningly at Pitch. "You can't kill me Jack" Pitch said. "I will if you touch her!" Jack snapped back.

"Not if I kill you first" Pitch leaned closer for a minute then he began to circle Briar and Jack. They pressed their backs together again and Pitch laughed wickedly.

"You've taken so much from me" Pitch started. "My girl, my dreams, the belief in me" Pitch tapped his chin. "Well, it's time for a change. The gear will turn my way now" he stopped his walk. Fearlings circled the clearing.

"Jack..." Briar whispered. Jack responded by gripping her hand and giving it a squeeze. "This time, I'll be killing you from the inside" Pitch laughed again. "Oh yeah?" Jack retorted. "How're you going to do that? I've got nothing to lose" Jack demanded. Pitch laughed. Briar felt the anger burn inside her. "Oh yes you do" Pitch said. "You have a family now. You have your friends" he said. "And what do you say I start with them?" he hissed. "No!" Jack yelled. Pitch turned on his heels and walked a few feet away from both. "Bring them in" he ordered. Four sacks were tossed in front of Jack. Jack lowered his staff a little. The bags were wriggling.

Pitch snapped his fingers and the sacks flung open. Held firmly by black petals was:

"North! Tooth! Bunny! Sandy!" Jack yelled. Behind him, Briar gave a sudden shriek. Jack spun around to see her getting tangled in black vines. "Briar!" he yelled and tired to grip her hand but she was lifted high up into the trees, wriggling and squirming.

Pitch walked over to Bunny and removed his black petaled gag. "Let them go ankle-biter!" was the sudden yell. Bunny was yanked off his sack and dumped beside Jack. Black petals bound them both like chains. North and Sandy were tossed beisde them. Like Jack and Bunny, they were instantly bound by the chain-like petals. "What do you plan to do with us Pitch?" North demanded. "Let the youngsters go!" he yelled. Pitch laughed.

"You four have taken so much from me, including these two girls I have loved all my life" Pitch ran a pale finger at Tooth's cheek. she jerked her head free, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Bunny who was desperately struggling to get out.

"Now it's my turn to take my things back" Pitch turned to look at North, Sandy, Bunny and Jack. "No, Pitch, no!" Jack desperately struggled to free himself but failed. "Don't hurt them!" he yelled. "I'll give you anything you want!" Jack yelled. "Jack?" Bunny looked at his friend. Never did he see Jack so protective.

Pitch grinned wickedly. "Anything?" he sneered. Behind him, Tooth and Briar were screaming in protest. Jack ignored her. "Jack, you don't know what you're doing!" North cried. "Shut up North. I know exactly what I'm doing" Jack snapped. Pitch leaned closer to Jack until his nose was inches away from Jack's. "You'll give me anything?" he asked. Jack nodded bravely.

Fearlings pushed him forward. "Pitch, no!" Bunny yelled. Pitch ignored him and a long black blade of black petals appeared at his side. "How about your life?" Pitch waved the blade in front of North. "Better bid him goodbye, North" he taunted. "No!" North yelled. Pitch returned to Jack and placed the tip on the boy's chest. Jack gulped. "If I die, you let them go" he said. "Fine. As long as you're dead" Pitch pressed the blade into Jack's chest. The tip touched Jack's chest. He gulped. The tip began to bury itself into his chest and a small trail of blood flowed.

"Hey, Pitch!" Briar yelled. Pitch drew the blade back and faced faced Briar. Tooth was sobbing loudly. She had freed herself off the gag. "No, Briar!" she cried. Briar's green, sharp knife was tugging at Briar's pendant. Jack gasped. He remembered what Briar had said about that pendant.

_Flashback_

"_Also, another weakness is this pendant" Briar pulled out her big necklace. "It's my life. If I lose it, if the clasp breaks, I die" she said._

"Briar don't you dare!" North bit his lip. Sandy was panicking. Even Pitch was shocked. "Pitch, let my friends go!" she yelled. "No. I want to finish the believers off at the prom first then I'll give them a quick death" Pitch replied coldly. "If you don't let them go, I'll do what I have to" Briar pressed her dagger against the clasp. "No!" Pitch cried.

"Let them go, safely" Briar commanded. Pitch reluctantly obeyed. Jack and the others were freed. "Go Jack, go!" Briar called. "Not leaving you here!" Jack protested. "Oh, yes you are. All of you will" she said. A tear dropped on the grass. Jack attempted to reach her but Pitch slammed him back down.

Briar gulped. "Everything's going to be fine" she pushed the blade. It cut a small part of the chain. She faded slowly but reappeared again. "Don't!" Jack yelled. Tooth sobbed on Bunny's shoulder. North stood still, fighting his desire to stop her because he didn't know what to do, exactly.

"You must trust me" Briar was already crying. She didn't really want to do this but this was the best way to drive Pitch off and kill at least half of all his Fearlings. She gulped. "Trust me" she cried faintly. "Briar, please" Jack pleaded. "Trust me" Briar replied. "I do. We all do" Bunny said. "Bunny!" Jack exclaimed. Bunny nodded to him. North did too. Sandy, realizing the situation did the same. Tooth looked at Briar. Her bloodshot eyes were painful to look at and Briar looked away.

Pitch frowned. "This isn't fun" he muttered to himself. But he couldn't move. He was afraid. Pitch Black was afraid.

Briar looked at Jack. She mouthed the words: 'I'm sorry' she chocked back tears. With one yank, the clasp broke and Briar's scream echoed in their ears as she burst into a bright light and petals. "NO!" Jack yelled. He shielded his eyes from the the light. Pitch was crying out in agony. Finally, he faded into black smoke and disappeared, retreating into his lair.

The enormous impact threw the Guardians back. When the light faded, Jack was half buried in pink, blue, red, yellow, black and green petals. He shook them off and he found Tooth smiling sadly as her tears dropped on pink petals on her hands. "Tooth?" Jack approached her.

"These petals" Tooth handed Jack a handful of blue ones. "These were her memories with us. The pink ones were with me. The green ones were with Bunny. The red ones with North and the yellow ones were her memories with Sandy" Tooth explained. "The black parts represent her memories with Pitch" she said sadly. She shook her head. Some tears went flying. She suddenly broke down into cries. Bunny was crying too.

"She was a good friend too. A good goof 'round us" he sighed as a tear dropped on his furry paw clutching green petals. Sandy's shoulders were shaking. The man was unble to hide his sorrow. North was massaging his temples, tears streaming down his face.

"No" Jack moaned. "She's not dead! She can't be dead!" he cried. "Jack" Tooth cried. "What's done is done" she said. "No! She's not dead!" Jack protested. He looked at the petals and felt his tears welling up. "She can't leave me behind. She can't leave us behind!" he cried, sinking into the ground. His tears came faster. "Briar!" he yelled into the open air. "You can't leave us here!" he called blankly. Finally, Jack gave up and flew up to the branch that Briar used to sit on when he was asleep this morning. There, he shed cold tears.

They sat there in silence and seemed that when night fell, the moon was crying with them. Jack clutched the petals to his chest. "She can't be gone, no!" he yelled furiously at himself and banged his fist at the tree trunk. A sudden shot of pain came surging throughout his body from his chest. Jack winced. He gazed at the moon: "Bring her back" he ordered but there was no reply.

Tooth broke the silence. All of them were sad. All of them were grieving. She bit her lip and began to sing. Her sweet voice filled the air and Jack remembered Briar's voice when she sang.

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to loose_

_Fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, take your aim_

_Fire away, fire away_

_You shoot me down but I won' fall_

_I am titanium_

_You shoot me down but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

Tooth finally gave up and slid down, crying again. "I—I never thought she'd go before me. No parent should bury their child" she whispered. "I was acting, substituting our dead mom. She's my little sister. I never thought..." she didn't finish her sentence and she broke down agin, her breath coming in hiccups. Bunny hugged her close to his chest but his tears slipped and fell on her feathers.

North stood up and Sandy did too. "Alright. We have a duty to fulfill" he said, wiping his tears away from his bloodshot eyes. Sandy stood next to him. "North, can't it wait?" Bunny asked. "No, Briar wouldn't want us to wait. What she cares about is the believers. We have to go to that prom. Pitch will be there and we'll end his life there" North pounded his fist o his palm.

"Look at me!" Bunny gestured to himself. "No bunny would go to a prom mate! We'd blow our cover and Pitch'll notice us in a second!" he said. Tooth nodded. Sandy waved his hands. Above his head, he had a picture of Briar's locket in the sand. "Of course! Briar can help!" North said, crawling under the petals, looking for the broken necklace. Jack was silent and it pained Tooth. She flew silently up to him.

Jack's eyes weren't bloodshot like hers but his face were marked with tears streaks. He'd been crying and that was so unusual. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Do you mid if I sit with you? You could use some company" she said softly. Jack shook his head. "No, no. I don't mind" his voice was hoarse. Tooth slipped in beside him.

"Jack, Briar wouldn't want to see you like this. So un-you" she said slowly, bracing herself for a sudden wrath. Instead, Jack smiled. "You're right Tooth" he said. He held out a hand and Tooth took it. She stood and watched as Jack leapt down to the ground.

Jack's chest felt heavy. He closed his eyes and began to breath slowly. He held out his hand. Something shiny shone in the moonlight. Suddenly, Briar's pendant flew up and landed on Jack's hand. "Oh, good. You found it!" North staggered up to his feet. Sandy peeked up from a clump of petals. Jack looked at the pendant and clenched his fist. He raised the hand, attempting to smash the piece of thing. Jack hesitated and his hand fell on his head, still holding the pendant.

He examined it with less interest when he saw a small gap that he once saw on a child's locket. Jack gasped ad flung the pendant-locket open. A bright light shone brightly. From it, Briar's image was formed.

"Briar!" Jack reached out but his hand slipped right through. "Hi guys" Briar said. "The potion inside contains the power to turn you into human form for an hour. One drop per hour. The clothes you will use for the dance is with Autumn. When you get this, I'm probably dead now and I just wanted to tell you that I had a great time with you Jack and thanks for everything guys. I appreciate everything" she said. The image shimmered and finally faded away. Jack gritted his teeth and dropped the pendant on Bunny's paw. "Do what you want" he said, his eyes blank.

Jack flew up again on his branch and Tooth fluttered down to give him privacy. "Bunny!" she hissed. She pulled the pooka aside. "You have to talk to him" she said. "Me? Why me?" Bunny asked. "You've known him longest and..." Tooth glanced at Jack. His tears were falling as snowflakes. Bunny hesitated but then, his shoulders relaxed.

"Alright" Bunny took a deep breath and climbed up the tree and sat beside Jack. "Frostbite" he started but was quickly cut off by Jack. "Give me with all your best shots Kangaroo. I'm not gonna say anything else. Tease me get mad at me all you want" Jack said bluntly without looking at Bunny. Bunny winced. "Listen, Jack" he tried again. "Briar told us to trust her, didn't she?" he asked. Jack nodded. "So I say we trust her" Bunny punched Jack lightly by the shoulder. Jack felt so weightless. He sagged back, resting the side of his head on the rought bark of the tree.

"I don't know Bunny" Jack sighed. "It's just not the same" Jack muttered. "I know Frosty" Bunny said. "I miss her already too. I miss her acts of growing flowers on the tops of my Easter eggs" he joked. Jack laughed slightly. "Jack, listen to me" Bunny said, suddenly serious. "As much as I hate to say this but I miss the old you" Bunny said, staring out into the moon. "The old me?" Jack found the statement pointless. How was he the old him and the new him?

"I don't get it" Jack admitted. "I mean, I miss the bubbly Jack. The naughty list King?" Bunny tried to cheer him up but the thought made Jack sick. The boy slammed his fist at the tree trunk. Ice spurted out and formed lacy designs on the wood. "I can't be that guy right now" Jack said. "But Briar would love to see it back" Bunny pointed out. Jack nodded. "Yeah, I reckon she would, if she was here" he said slowly and there was a pinch of sadness in his voice.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own ROTG. This is a fan-made fiction.

A/N: So here it is! I can't believe I've made it this far! Thanks for going along with me! So Briar dies but she'll still come around. I trust her. XD


	7. Labyrinth Enslaved

Chapter 7

Briar's eyes slowly fluttered open to the sound of her name. _Briar, Briar! _She groaned and sat up. She was in the middle of nowhere. Everything was dark and the only thing shiny was the moon. It was right in front of her. Briar's eyes widened as she crawled towards the moon and finally dusted herself up.

_Briar! _There was her name again. "Manny?" Briar called out. _I see you've awakened. Feeling any better? _The voice echoed away. Briar nodded and clutched her chest. "Yeah, I think so" she replied. She heard Manny give a slight scoff. _I don't think so. There's something missing, am I wrong? _He asked. Briar thought for a moment. When she didn't answer, Manny asked again.

_You did not like what you just did, did you? _He asked. Briar thought again. Her hand balled into fists. "I did what I had to do!" she declared. _But you don't like it. _Manny said. Briar bit her lower lip. Slowly, she shook her head. Tiny droplets of tears flew in different directions. "But I had to protect Jack! My friends!" she said firmly.

_I know, I know. _Manny said. Briar felt him smile gently. _Do you want to see them again? _

The question hit Briar like a smack in the face. She had kept her emotions secret from the others but this was MiM. She couldn't hold it back, knowing that he'd figure it out sooner than she expected. "Yes!" Briar cried. "I'd do anything!" she said.

_Is that right? _Manny asked. Briar nodded vigorously. "Is there any way, Manny?" she asked hopefully. Manny was silent for a moment. _Yes. _

Briar felt her heart skip a beat. _But it will be hard and the trials will pain you to death. Death feeds on your spirit's anger and fears. The trials along the way will test your worthiness to return. _Manny said solemnly. "I don't care" Briar snapped. "I want to return!" she cried.

_Tell that to Jack, _was the stern reply. Briar saw the darkness behind her soften and finally turned to glass. She could see straight through and the first thing she saw was her locket clutched in a pale hand, snowflakes falling on it. She looked up. She gasped.

"Jack!" she yelled. He didn't stir. "Jack!" she called again. _He can't hear you. _Manny told her. "Why?" Briar asked. _Because you're dead, Briar. And you want to return. I merely showed you their current situation. _Manny informed her, choosing his words carefully. Briar turned to look at Jack. Tears streaked his pale face, the locket-pendant clutched in his hand tight.

"Briar!" he suddenly yelled. Briar gasped. "If you can hear me!" Jack continued. "Wherever you are! I'll be waiting. I'll wait for you even if I wait forever!" he declared. Briar felt her tears welling up. She brushed them away and turned to Manny. "What do I have to do?" Briar asked.

_Look to your right._ Manny said. Briar obeyed. She saw a dense forest and a large maze in the middle. _I can only give you hints but on the on the end of that maze is home. The other side will help you get back. _Manny said. Briar looked at the forest. "I go now" she said. Briar made her way towards the maze.

_And Briar. _Manny called after her. Briar stopped but didn't turn. _Use your abilities wisely. You'll need them. You can't go on, hiding forever. _Manny said. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind" Briar said with a hint of sarcasm then she proceeded.

The forest was dark. The trees were black as coal. The night sky was painted dark purple. There was no moon. Briar gulped. Thorns scratched her legs. The branches caught her hair. Briar yelped for the tenth time when she went to untangle her hair from a black branch.

There was a rustle in the bushes. Briar stood alert and ready. She had no weapons but she still had her plant manipulation. Another rustle and followed by a growl. Yellow eyes peeked out from a Night Lock bush. Briar ran, knowing what the creature was: Mountain Troll.

She had handled trolls all her life. They weren't very smart but when you get hit, you're sure dead. The troll swung its club in a slow, back and forth, deadly manner. Briar ran faster. A thorn branch scratched her face. She winced but she ran on. Her pursuer was closing in, faster. She stopped short when she saw a cliff. On the other side, light shone. That was her destination. But how was she to cross the rapids without a bridge and with a troll at her tail.

Her tail. Her tail. Her tail! Briar knew exactly what to do. She clenched her fists and shot her hand at the troll. Green swirls burst from her palms. Roots grew big, the troll, not being very smart, tripped and landed on its face, flat on the ground. Briar clapped her hands together. Green vines strapped themselves on the troll. It struggled but wasn't able to pry the vines away.

Briar took off. Her long hair streaming behind her. Her pants torn and her face scratched. She had to reach the other side. She flicked her wrists. Green plants shot out from the rapids. The branches extended and formed a bridge, woven neatly by vines. Briar ran across, nearly loosing her footing in the middle.

Briar slipped and fell on her chest. She slammed on a branch, knocking the air out of her lungs. 'I have to get there!' she cursed herself. "If Pitch is stronger, he'll not even sweat in this battle!" she scrambled up her feet and flew across the bridge. Her body was still weak. The necklace was gone. She was a spirit. But still, determination swelled up in her.

Briar dashed across the dark maze and stopped short when she saw black dust swirling around. She gazed at it as it formed some pictures. One of them took the form of Jack. The other formed Tooth.

"Jack?" Briar asked. "Why do you want to go back?" he demanded. "We were happier without you. Doing great until you showed up" Tooth said, her purple eyes blank. Briar stepped back in shock. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "You're trying in vain" Jack told her. "We don't like you and I certainly don't love you!" he almost yelled. Briar had tears in her eyes. "No! You're messing with me!" she cried. She clutched her head. "We aren't. You're denying the truth" Tooth said coldly. "The whole truth you seek eludes you because you don't look at what's around you!" she snapped. The smoke faded. Briar's spirit dropped. Her spirits were crushed.

"When I get there, I'll ask you personally: where did I go wrong?" she muttered under her breath and took off again. Her feet hurt but she didn't care. She wanted to get back. She wanted to!

Briar raced along the dirty path, running barefoot across the rocky ground. Her feet were bruised and scratched. Tears were leaking out of her eyes. 'Wait for me guys!' she raced along faster. Her determination didn't falter. "I don't care if you don't like me. All I want is for you guys to be safe. I don't care at all if you hate me!" she yelled as if someone could hear her. She pushed on and on, ignoring the pain from her body.

Jack flew to Autumn. She has to know something about Pitch's whereabouts and maybe something about Briar that would lessen his grief. He flew, the wind slow, letting him get the time he needed to collect his thoughts. He swooped down to Autumn's orchard.

"Autumn! I know you're in there!" Jack called. "Yes, Jack? I'm in the back!" Autumn's British accent floated in the air. Jack glided towards the sound and found Autumn tending to her fairies. Before Jack could say anything, Autumn beat him to it.

"I heard what happened" she said. Jack's mouth snapped shut. "The Christmas dance is tomorrow night. Briar gave you the tonic, didn't she?" Autumn asked. Jack nodded. "Then I'll do anything I can to help. I won't be at the dance but I have all the clothes that will help you disguise and blend in" she said. "Blend in?" Jack asked.

"The dance will be crowding with believers. They'll probably sense you and it'll make you easier to spot. You have to blend in and I have just the thing" Autumn stood. Tooth fluttered over to her. Jack didn't see her and the others come but quickly flushed it off his mind.

"Autumn, I am really thankful" she said. "It's the least I can do" Autumn answered. "For the boys" she snapped her fingers. A maple tree opened in the middle, revealing the most elegant tuxedos in the world. Neckties were folded neatly in a corner. Bunny gasped in awe.

"For Tooth" Autumn snapped her fingers again and the maple tree beside the boys' wardrobe split open, revealing beautiful gowns. "A dance had to be formal. And you'll look normal enough when you drink the tonic. Drink it on the day. I wouldn't advise it now" Autumn said. She sank back into her seat.

"I don't know much about medicines and stuff like these. Only Briar memorizes this stuff. It's different when you take advice from an amateur" she said. "I know Autumn" North said sadly, translating Sandy's images.

"But she can be reborn" Autumn offered. Jack lit up. "Really?" he asked with interest. "A part depends on her and a part on us" she said. "The part for us is getting her believers. One isn't enough. About five could do the trick. That'll boost up her abilities" Autumn told the Guardians. "And her part?" Jack inquired. "She has to make her decision: to come back or to stay with Manny forever" Bunny answered for Autumn. The Fall Spirit nodded in agreement. Jack's face fell.

"She'll come back, Jack" Sandy formed the letters above his head. "What makes you think so?" Jack asked. "She said 'Trust me'" Sandy wrote. "You're right Sandman" North said. "Let's get our Briar believers. She'll make it in time for the dance if we get her some now!" he jumped on his sleigh. Bunny thumped his foot three times and jumped down a rabbit hole and Tooth followed him. Sandy got in with North.

"Go Jack" Autumn said. "Briar wouldn't be gawking" she said. Jack nodded. "But before that" he grinned mischievously. "SNOW DAY!" he yelled as blast of cold air and snow plummeted down on the orchard. Jack shot up in the air. "JACK FROST!" Autumn shrieked. Jack laughed and shot away.

"Good to see you getting better" Tooth fluttered over to Jack who was lazily flying in the wind. Jack flew onward. "Jack, you okay mate?" Bunny asked, slightly nauseous. Jack nodded. "Gotta hold on to something, right?" Jack opened his hand and the pendant gazed back at him. Jack tucked it into his pocket. "I have to get used to being alone. After being invisible for 300 years" Jack said but with a blank grin.

Briar tripped again on a small stone that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her chest slammed on the hard-packed ground, knocking the air out of her lungs. She coughed and spit out some dirt and brushed the others away from her mouth. She clambered up to her feet.

Briar dashed up to the light when her path was blocked by arising black petals. "PITCH!" she leaped back. "Relax, kiddo. I'm not here to fight you" the black sand rubbed Briar's head. She swatted it away. "I'm here to give you a choice. It's either you join me or you will see your friends perish and you can do nothing to prevent it" Pitch said wickedly. Briar bit her lip. Clearly both choices would be bad.

"You have fifteen seconds" Pitch said. Briar didn't think twice. "Wait!" she called. "I-I'll join you. Leave my friends alone" she hung her head but there was nothing better she could do. "Great choice" Pitch disappeared. Briar had to run. Warn the others. She dashed up to the light but it didn't go as well as she hoped.

She emerged in Jack's lake. The snow crunched under her bare feet. She shivered. There was a crunch, a snap. Briar spun around, alert for anything. Then she saw a small shadow collapse. The shadow was white haired and wore a blue hoodie...

"Jack!" she screamed and dashed to the figure. But as she reached it, the figure burst into black petals and wrapped themselves on her hands and feet. A group plastered her mouth.

"Oh, that was precious!" Pitch emerged from the shadows. Briar grunted and tried desperately to free herself. "Let me go!" she yelled but it was muffled. "Not until I've done showing you my new trick" Pitch leaned until he was only inches away from Briar. He was so close, fear crept slowly into Briar's eyes. Pitch laughed. "There it is: Fear" he laughed wickedly. Briar yanked and Pitch's mouth brushed against her neck. She shivered again.

"Let me go, Pitch" she cried softly. Suddenly, Pitch's pale hand grasped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Briar tried to push him away but he held her firm. After a few seconds, she managed to yank her head away from his and spit on the ground. She looked at Pitch, tears streaming from her face. Pitch licked his lips. "I haven't felt that for a long time. Too bad, that wasn't really what I was planning to do" he smiled wickedly.

Briar felt her skin tighten. Black shadows rushed up her legs. "What did you do to me?" she demanded. Her vision blurred. Her head was spinning. "Just to make sure you really swear allegiance to me, I placed some of my remaining sand into you. It will slowly turn you into what I want you to be: the one who will destroy the Guardians for me" Pitch laughed again. Briar gasped as the sand crept up her face and slowly, she felt herself slipping out. She gave out one last scream that echoed loudly, a scream from her mind and from her mouth. Then she felt herself fall into the dark.

Pitch smiled satisfied. He picked her up in his pale arms and planted another kiss on her lips. "Not only will they fall, but you will forever be mine once again" he murmured and he disappeared into the dark, taking Briar into his lair.

The ride was quite bumpy, with the Nightmares nudging her. Slowly, Briar opened her eyes. She should've ran straight to the Pole. But that figure really looked like Jack. She didn't really think well that time.

She awoke with a hand on her face. She looked up to see Pitch's yellow eyes. She tried to move but she felt so weightless and weak. She struggled but Pitch held her tight. She was standing, her hands were chained and were held up. Pitch was leaning on her. _On _her. His chest pressed against hers. She struggled but she was too weak.

Pitch's breath was hot against her neck. She tingled. Pitch smiled at her and began running his fingers on her face and stopped under her chin. She gulped. Pitch pulled her in again for another kiss. Briar jerked her head away.

Pitch's eyes pierced hers. "You're awake" he grinned wickedly. "Let me go!" Briar yelled. Pitch waved a finger. "Not quite" he said as he began to pace the room. "I want to show you or to tell you, what my new plan is" Pitch said. "See, I'm trying to use it on you but you just keep fighting" Pitch sneered. "Keep trying, you'll never get me" Briar said weakly.

"I will. See, you're weak and tired. Once you give out, you'll be mine" Pitch laughed wickedly. "Why are you doing this?" Briar demanded. "Because it's my turn to be believed in. I long for a home, a family which the Guardians stole from me!" Pitch walked away, looking at the floor.

"They never stole anything from you!" Briar yelled. "All of them did. Bunny stole Tooth so I got you. But now, Jack's got you too. Sandman stole the fun in my nightmares and replaced it with the most beautiful dreams and North stole the fear in the children away by filling their hearts with wonder and hope!" Pitch retorted. "Now, I'm taking back what's mine"

Pitch clenched his fist. Black petals swirled around and slowly arose from the ground, wrapping Briar in an inescapable embrace. She tried but she failed to get out. Briar saw the corners of her eyes turn black. Her vision blurred again. "It's time. Are they ready?" Pitch asked sarcastically. Briar felt herself once again, losing consciousness. "Jack" she whispered. Then eveything in her vision blacked out.

Pitch clapped his hands. "Got you" he laughed, his voice echoing in the lair. From the distance, he didn't see the shiny blue eyes that peered through a small crack in the wall.

DISCLAIMER: i DO NOT OWN ROTG. THIS IS A FANMADE FICTION!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU SO UCH GUYS FOR READING THIS FAR! I PROMISE TO TRY MY BEST TO MAKE THIS STORY A SUCCESS!


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